3rd Trimester

It’s one of life’s ironies: Getting off the couch for a little exercise can actually make you feel more relaxed. Plus, exercise can help reverse the sag in your energy level that can happen during pregnancy, and research shows that moderate exercise throughout those nine months can help you avoid excessive weight gain, lessen your risk for pregnancy complications and may even help you have an easier delivery.

Because contractions generally signal that labor is starting, they can be viewed as a warning sign, a green light or a cue to ask, “Honey, the crib is set up, right?” But having contractions before you’re due doesn’t necessarily mean that Baby has requested an early checkout from Hotel Utero. Here’s what you need to know about uterine contractions—whenever they occur:

Ask any mom whose pregnancy went into extra innings: Right around your due date, the phone calls, emails and texts start coming: “Is anything happening?” “What does the doctor say?” “Wellll????” Playing the waiting game during the last few weeks of pregnancy is hard, but it becomes especially difficult when 40 weeks turn into 41 . . . or 42. But the first thing to know is this: Your due date is just an estimate. In fact, only 5 percent of babies are born on theirs.

For some women, a sudden burst of cleaning, stockpiling and organizing is quickly followed by labor. Others feel the impulse earlier in pregnancy. Regardless of when the urge to nest hits, it can feel overwhelming. Manage your to-do list and minimize stress with these tips from Ellie Miller and Melissa Gould of Ellie & Melissa, The Baby Planners (thebabyplanners.com).

Amniotic fluid: It’s at once mundane and poetic, a humble liquid that protects and nourishes your baby. It also helps maintain a constant temperature; promotes growth and development of the fetus’s lungs, gastrointestinal system, muscles and bones; and prevents compression of the umbilical cord. Some studies even suggest that it transmits odors and flavors from your diet, helping to influence your baby’s future taste preferences.

Kevin Jonas is one doting, do-it-all dad-to-be. In the past year, he and his band of bros, the multi-platinum pop group the Jonas Brothers, have performed for arenas of screaming fans, starred in music videos and worked on a new album, their first in four years. He’s building a dream home and waiting on his wife, Danielle, who’s due in February.

While many doctors and women feel that bed rest can't do any harm and might do some good during certain high-risk pregnancies, a recent review of research suggests otherwise. Often-overlooked side effects include muscle atrophy, cardiovascular deconditioning, potential bone loss and depression, says study author Judith A. Maloni, Ph.D., R.N., a professor of nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

That ruffled swim cap can stay in grandma’s closet because this water exercise program is anything but old-fashioned. “This is for a person who wants a more challenging aqua workout,” says trainer and fitness educator Sara Kooperman, who developed her nationally known Water in Motion program that incorporates yoga, Pilates and dance moves after she injured her back in a skiing accident.

Pregnant women have less sex than they’re used to having, particularly in the last trimester, research suggests. Considering that pregnancy sex is usually safe, free and a good way for partners to stay close during what can be a stressful time, why is this?

In case you haven’t heard, breastfeeding is a pretty rockin’ way to feed your baby. It’s cheap (no need to buy formula); it’s easy (no mixing or warming necessary); it’s “green” (no formula containers in the landfill); and it’s good for his body and mind (a lower incidence of short- and long-term health threats like diarrhea and leukemia, plus an IQ boost). It’s even good for you, conferring a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

I have two friends who are due at the end of August. Both are first timers, healthy and had fairly easy pregnancies. There’s been a little nausea here and there and a few aches and pains, but other than that they’ve both been really fortunate to have lovely pregnancies.